A Normal Day For Once
by Newclear
Summary: Because everyone needs a break...A calm before the storm.
1. Before Dawn

Before Dawn

Remiel lay in bed, covers drawn up to his chest, right arm draped over his eyes.

It was 3 A.M.

A hand ran across his face, gently tracing across his face.

He stirred slightly in bed.

"Hinata…" he whispered softly.

The owner of the hand pulled back, and sat on the edge of the bed.

Rudra gazed Remiel's handsome face, and sighed sadly.

Her quiet reverie was broken by Agni as he emerged from the shower, his long red hair.

"The only way I can have the water touch my skin, is to have it _really _hot." He sighed.

"The disadvantages of being the physical manifestation of Fire...."

Agni looked over to Remiel's bed, and then to Rudra, noting something shimmering underneath her right eye.

"Hey, Rudy, are you crying?" he asked.

Rudra rubbed her right eye.

"Uhmm…Its nothing, just got something in my eye."

Agni looked skeptical, and crossed his arms.

"Rudy, I've seen enough Human movies to know that tired excuse. You're crying beside Rem's bed! You look like I just caught you doing something you didn't want me to see…Like…like…"

Understanding dawned on his damp face.

"No…" he said, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Not so loud!" Rudra whispered.

"YOU LIKE REM?!?" yelled Agni.

Remiel suddenly jerked in his bed, but still continued to slumber. He muttered something about staying, and then dozed of once more.

"Holeee Shiiit!" his hands flew suddenly to his damp hair.

Rudra frantically tried to silence Agni. She ran over to him silently as his back was turned, and clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Yes! Yes, I do like him. Don't tell him, please." She pleaded.

Agni suddenly ignited, searing Rudra's hand. His whole head aflame, his face had changed into a black mask-like imitation of a face, mouth less, with round eyes. But even without a mouth, Rudra could tell he was grinning.

She had learned to read that face a long time ago…

"Don't worry, I won't tell him, but you need to buy my silence…" he said, as his eyebrows rose.

As Rudra looked at him, Agni thought she was going to scream at him, but she relented, in respect for Remiel, and simply said…

"What do you want?"

"Free food for the rest of my life."

A vein pulsed in Rudra's forehead.

"You know that we Elementals live forever right?"

"Yeah, I know. That's why I asked for it." Agni replied smugly, crossing his arms.

"But seriously, why him? On the metaphysical ladder, we're chimps compared next to Homo Divinii. And there are more attractive spirits mulling about…"

"But I'm not saying Rem's ugly or anything!" Agni added.

Rudra was quiet for a while.

"So you really want to know?" Rudra asked.

"Yeahyeahyeah!!!" came the excited reply

"It's like; he's the big brother I never had, my protector. He's had my back since we started working together. But I could never get myself to tell him that I liked him." She said, looking a bit tense.

Her brother simply nodded, and said,

"So you agree to get me free food for the rest of my immortal existence?"

"Yes!"

"Okay…" said Agni, seeming to give the words some thought.

"REM! WAKE UP! I GOT SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!!!" he suddenly yelled, running straight toward Remiel's bed.

Rudra gave chase, and when she felt that she was within range, she pounced on him, like a killer psycho jungle cat.

THUD!!!

WHAM!!!

BOPP!!!

TUG!!!

"No, don-mmmmfff!!!"

End of Prologue


	2. Morning

Morning

Remiel woke to a knock on his door. The sun was shining straight into his eyes. He walked over to the window, and pulled down the blinds.

Another knock, two of them this time.

"Alright, I'm comin'!" he yelled.

He walked over to the door, put on a white shirt, and clad only in gray shorts, he opened the door.

A great white flash met him, and he was blinded.

After the blindness cleared, he saw Hinata there, a camera held up to her face.

"Congratulations, you have successfully blinded me. What's up?" Asked Kenshin, rubbing the last of blindness out of his eyes.

"Today's our monthsary!" replied Hinata.

"Uh-huh, so what was the picture for?" he asked.

"Remembrance." She said happily.

Kenshin went back inside, and after a few thumps later, he had changed into a light-blue ¾ shirt with grey sleeves. His shorts were replaced by gray cargo pants.

"Okay, today's our monthsary, so where do you wanna go?"

7:30 AM

As he stood at the top of a hill overlooking the village, he realized that he truly loved this place, a tranquil, peaceful place.

"Hey, you all right?" said a gentle voice from behind him.

He turned to Hinata, as she placed a picnic basket next to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He replied.

"It's just that, you don't get days like these in my line of work…" he continued.

Hinata, who was unpacking the snacks, then asked him…

"What do you angels do?"

"Well…There are a lot of things angels do, depending on the position we hold, like me, I'm a Seraph, so I'm technically freelance, but I chose to work with the Dominion." He replied.

"Oh…So what does the Dominion do?"

"Uhh, kinda like… well the Dominion was established by Valdecir, one of the original Archangels, to fight against Cataclysm, a construct of Chaos whose sole purpose is to return everything, all universes, all things, to chaos." He told her.

Hinata had finished unpacking the food, and sat down on the mat.

Kenshin joined her, and picked up an apple.

"Sounds exciting…" she told him, smiling slightly.

"Well…yeah, but it gets kinda hectic after a while, and you start to look for places like this, places to rest."

"I don't live for the fight, the bloodshed, or the thrill of battle, I live for the normal days, the peaceful days…" he added as he lay down on the mat, apple in hand.

"This Valdecir, was he that guy you were with, in that huge tree?" she asked.

Kenshin, after eating the apple to the core, threw it aside, and got another.

"Oh, him, yeah, that was Valdecir, but he likes being called Aurelm, God knows why." He added, rolling his eyes.

"So, you guys protect the world from destruction, kinda like superheroes, right?" said Hinata.

"Yup, and sometimes we enlist the help of the realm's resident protector for help, in exchange for our aid in the realm's problems. Oftentimes, they don't even know it yet."

They were silent for a while, watching over the village that was home for both of them as the wind blew about …

11:30 AM

Agni woke to a throbbing head. He wanted to rub his temple, but having his hands tied behind him didn't offer him that privilege. He couldn't ask anyone for help either, being gagged sort of hampered that.

He tried to concentrate, and felt heat building in the back of his throat. But as it intensified, so did his headache, and he felt the heat dissipating, but the headache still kept going.

The heat vanished entirely, and frustration took hold.

He tried to light up, and felt like his head would break open.

He should've never taught her that submission hold…

Rudra was at peace, but she felt…wrong.

She was at the hill, hiding behind the tree, observing Hinata and Remiel from a distance.

Now she knew what that girl felt like. She better treat him well, because he deserved more than that mortal girl could offer.

She was human, whereas Rudra was an elemental, the corporeal manifestation of the wind...

She was but a shy wallflower, while Rudra was outgoing, bright, and most of all, far livelier than her…

"Excuse me, I have to take a walk, I'll be back."

Hearing him say those words broke Rudra out of her reverie. She made herself as the wind…intangible, invisible.

She felt Remiel walk right through her, and stopped a few feet away.

"You can come out from your Mistral Veil, Rudra." He said to her.

Rudra slowly materialized, wearing a white long-sleeved blouse, ending in orange cuffs, cut just above the abdomen. She wore white leggings, ending with orange ankle wrappings, her straight lime-green hair now chin-length, with the hair framing her face longer than usual.

"What does she have that I don't?" asked Rudra when she was tangible again.

Silence was her only reply.

"Is it because that she looks just like her, Selene?!?" she continued.

More silence…

"Answer me!"

"Because it's a love I haven't felt in a long time…." he finally replied.

Rudra was silent, her face pensive.

"I have to go back to Hinata; she'll be worried if I don't." Remiel said.

"Go."

Remiel walked away, and after a few feet, he looked back, but he found no one there…

He suddenly found himself wondering if the wind could weep…

Rudra felt warm tears flow down her face, as she moved through the trees as a gust of wind. She saw the village walls, and flew over them. She sped through the streets, giving the hot pedestrians on the ground a brief respite from the heat.

She went up to the open window of their room in Remiel's apartment, and left the Mistral Veil as soon as she alighted on the cold stone floor.

She threw herself onto the bed, and wept…


	3. Noon

Noon

Tired from walking the way back, feet still aching, they took a break at a street side restaurant.

As they walked inside, they were thankful for the shade it brought from the heat outside. Kenshin found a table, and pulled the chair out for her.

"Thanks, Kenshin-kun."

As Kenshin and Hinata ordered lunch for two, they were unaware of the eyes watching them a few tables away…

"Choji, will you quit slurping your soup, I can't hear what they're saying!!!"

Choji was halfway through a particularly long noodle, when he heard her say this.

"Well, excuse me, but what the hell do you do in a restaurant?!?" said Choji.

"YOU EAT!!!" he yelled, getting him the attention of the entire restaurant.

"Get down!" Ino yelled, pulling him back down into the booth.

"If you guys were planning on spying, you should attract less attention…" said Shikamaru, perusing the menu intently.

"And what's the point of this anyway?"

Ino's eyebrows shot up at the statement.

"The point? The point is that they've been together for a month!" she replied.

"So?"

"No opposites last that long! The exciting guy gets bored of the wallflower he's dating and looks for someone else that's exciting!" she reasoned.

"I heard that opposites usually attract…" said Shikamaru, looking about for a waiter.

Ino watched Kenshin and Hinata eat, and found it too boring to watch. She went back to Choji and Shikamaru, and found Choji asking for his fourth bowl, and Shikamaru had finally ordered something.


	4. Just Past Noon

Just Past Noon

As Remiel walked back to his apartment, with Hinata's promise that they would meet after a little siesta. He smiled as he remembered her words…

"Hey, see you later, okay! I promise I'll be here." She said, as she held up her palm, scout's honor.

"Okay then, I'll wait for you here!" he said back.

He slid his hands into his pockets, and began to whistle "Just the Girl"…

Agni wore his one sleeved shirt, a long-sleeve on his right arm, sleeveless on the left. He snapped his neck left and right, and flexed his fingers. He straightened his upturned collar, and tried to subdue his wavy, red flame-like hair.

He was having no success when Remiel entered the front door, humming a tune Agni couldn't place.

"Well, someone's having a good day today!" Agni noted, Rem not being all quiet and lonely was almost a rarity back then.

Remiel just winked at him, and went straight into his room, humming all the way.

As Remiel closed the door of his room, he plopped down onto his bed, and lay there, staring into the ceiling…

"Where are you going?" said a voice from behind Agni.

He turned to the speaker, and saw Rudra, hair tousled from sleeping. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

_She must've cried herself to sleep,_ he thought to himself.

"Uh, I'm just gonna go out to eat some ramen." He reasoned.

Rudra just rubbed her eyes, nodded, and then shut the door closed.

He pulled out the comb stuck in his hair, and decided his hair was just fine.

He walked over to the door, and walked out.

As he walked to the Ichiraku Ramen, he noticed that blonde kid, the one they called Naruto, already inside. Surprised at this development, as he had never really talked at length with the guy, he sat next to him, and ordered a bowl.

As he began to eat his ramen, he noticed that Naruto was already halfway done. Agni then started to gulp down large amounts of soup, and swallowed mouthfuls of noodles. As he finished, he glanced over to Naruto, and saw him ordering another bowl.

So Agni followed suit.

As they began their unspoken race, Naruto noticed that the guy next to him was in Kenshin's team, the one with flaming hair. He saw him inhale noodles straight into his mouth, and proceeded to slurp his soup.

Not to be outdone, he started on the noodles ravenously, and drank the soup straight up.

Agni was on his 16th bowl when he noticed Naruto slowing down. He slurped the noodles at a slower rate, and drank his bowl in measured sips.

"Damn, you sure can put it away!" remarked Naruto, who had stopped eating to watch him.

Agni stopped in mid-slurp, and cut the noodles with his teeth.

"Anks!" Agni replied, the back of his hand covering his mouth. He swallowed the noodles, and turned to face Naruto.

"So, what got you into working for Kenshin? I mean, you're not related by blood, right?" Naruto asked, as the elderly proprietor of the Ichiraku Ramen picked up their plates.

"I'm in it for the adventure! The thrill! The excitement!!! THE FREE FOOD!!!" he yelled excitedly, drawing attention from the other customers.

"Well, buddy, looks like we're gonna get along on that one…" said Naruto, his stomach settling already.

"You know, you may be right." said Agni, a smile on his face.

"SECONDS!!!" they both yelled in unison.

Rudra woke to a silent apartment.

She walked out of her room, and spotted Remiel asleep on the couch. He breathed gently, his chest rising and falling slowly.

She walked over to him, and caressed his brow, knowing that his subconscious mind would only think of one name.

She left the apartment. She needed to fly again.

As she walked out of the apartment, after checking to see if there was anyone watching her, she turned into her true form.

Compared to Agni, her appearance didn't change drastically. Her chin-length grew a bit longer, with the ones framing her face almost touching.

Three long green feathers, two above his ears, and one in the middle of her hair, were swept back across her hair, like a makeshift crown.

She a green long-sleeved blouse that was skintight, made with green colored feathers, the collar reaching up to her neck, and sleeves ending in white feathers cut off just above her stomach. Long, thin green feathers streamed from her arms. The green feathers on her blouse were also on her legs, serving as makeshift leggings, also ending in white feathers.

Her eyes had become slightly slanted, giving them a predatory light; her irises a bright green.

She felt the strain of keeping her human form slip away, and she took to the skies. She went into the Mistral Veil, and she felt herself melt with the wind.

She flew over the village, and as she circled Konoha, she spotted that girl Remiel had chosen over her.

Hinata…

She left her, and went back up to the sky. The sun had left her great perch in the sky, and had gone off a bit to the left.

When she got bored with flying over the village, she flew to the east, just to see what other things where here in this realm.

After a few minutes of flight, she spied four figures in the wood, seated on logs, apparently taking a break.

They were all different, save for their black cloaks, the red clouds stark against them. One was exceptionally handsome, black hair framing his face. Another guy, one with silver hair, apparently had water bottles strapped to his outfit, which she found rather odd. Yet another, who was the tallest, was all by himself at the edge of the clearing, sitting cross-legged away from the others. And the last member of their quartet, a bespectacled girl with red hair tied back in a ponytail, was lying down on her log, apparently trying to sleep.

She descended into the group, her Veil holding. She was but a breeze to the group, a welcome respite from the heat.

At her post in the trees, she heard the group talking…

"…is getting impatient." said the handsome one.

"Who cares what that retard Tobi thinks? Who does he think he is, the boss of us?" said Water Bottle Boy.

The handsome one stood up, and walked over to his rucksack, and rummaged through it. He pulled out an apple, and proceeded to eat it.

Water Bottle Boy took a water bottle under his cloak, and took a long draught, water spilling out the sides.

"I can't see why you still follow that immature idiot, Sasuke." continued Water Bottle Boy, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Sasuke turned to him and said,

"Hold your tongue, Suigetsu, Pein holds that, "immature idiot", in high regard, so its best you stay your insults."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes, and kept on drinking.

Rudra flew back up to the heavens, and casting a parting glance to that group, she watched the handsome young man known as Sasuke eating his apple.

She watched him, and as she hovered above them, he suddenly stopped eating, and looked right at her. She felt his gaze, and she immediately turned away, and flew off back toward Konoha.

"Watcha looking at?" asked Suigetsu.

"I just had the strangest feeling that someone was watching me…" replied Sasuke.

Kenshin walked to the park, a box of cinnamon buns in hand. He couldn't help but feel a bit of Déjà vu. He saw a lone figure sitting on the park bench, and at first he didn't even recognize her. But as he saw the blue-black hair, and those beautiful eyes, he knew it was her.

Hinata wore different clothes from her usual hoodie and pants. Now she wore a lavender blouse, as well as white pants.

As soon as Hinata saw him, a smile appeared on her face, and she ran to him. Hinata slammed into Kenshin, and he was barely able to get his breath back when she caught him in a tight hug.


	5. Afternoon

Afternoon

Hinata sat next to Kenshin, watching the sun make his slow descent across the sky. The heavens had gained a golden glow.

A question was gnawing at her mind for days now, and she had finally worked up the nerve to ask it.

"Kenshin?"

"Yes, love?"'

"What were you like when you were still human?"

Kenshin was silent, gathering his thoughts. And then, he replied…

"If anyone had asked me that way back then, I would've shut up, told him a stern no, and stopped speaking to him…" He said to her, his voice taking on a serious tone.

Hinata felt the wind go out of her sails, but then Kenshin continued…

"I'll save that tale for later..." He said.

"If I said that I was an organized and efficient planner, I'd be lying. I was headstrong, and I tended to leap before I looked, and it cost my team our lives…"

The sun sank low in the horizon as Kenshin finished, and as the light slowly left the skies, Hinata laid her head on Kenshin's shoulder, and Kenshin placed his head on hers, silently trying to forget dredged u[p memories.

Kenshin felt her soft breath on his shoulder, and knew that she was asleep. He shifted her to his lap softly, and kissed her brow gently.

He then followed her lead, and slept as well…

Sasuke watched his team prepare for the night. He wondered if he was making the right choice. Itachi had told him to protect Konoha, and he was just going to do the opposite.

_He gave everything so that I would be a hero in that village…_ he thought to himself.

_But that village drove my brother to murder his entire family, and doomed me to be their avenger…robbing me a life I could've had, a peaceful life…_

"That village took the life I would've enjoyed with my family, and for that, Konoha deserves to burn…" he whispered to himself, or so he thought.

"Why?" a voice suddenly whispered.

Sasuke turned, and activated his Sharingan. He looked about, but saw no one.

"Where are you?" he asked to the forest.

"Here in the trees." replied a female voice that sounded almost airy.

He turned and scanned the forest, but saw no one.

"Tell me why Konoha deserves to burn, there are a lot of good people in there…" asked the voice.

"My brother killed my entire family, joined the Akatsuki to become my antagonist, and he left me behind to become our family's avenger, and eventually, when I killed him, I found out that he did all of this just so I would become Konoha's Hero! I didn't want to become that damned place hero, I just want to see it in flames, let them feel some of the hate I felt in my heart all these years…" he answered to the forest.

The voice was silent for a while, and then something extraordinary happened.

A slender form materialized in front of him. It was a girl, her hair a vivid green, matching her verdant eyes. She wore a white scarf around her neck, her green long-sleeved shirt was cut off above her stomach, and her leggings were green as well. Most striking of all was the look of sadness on her beautiful face.

Sasuke was taken aback at her. She was invisible even to his Sharingan, making her a danger if she chose to attack.

_Still, if she did want to kill me, she would've done it while she was invisible, and she wouldn't have shown herself to me if that was her intention…_He reasoned to himself.

Still, he was wary of the newcomer…

"You're so sad, for someone so handsome…" said the girl.

She kept approaching him, and as she came closer, Sasuke prepared to fight, building up the chakra to create the Chidori Current, just in case.

He still remembered what happened the last time a stranger came to him…

The girl reached him, and wrapped her arms around him. She embraced him, and Sasuke dispelled the chakra buildup.

"There, better?" said the girl, smiling as she broke their embrace.

Sasuke was speechless. Everyone who had come close to him that were not his teammates usually tried to kill him, or try to take him back to that accursed village.

"Why did you do that?" he asked her.

"Everyone needs love in times of sadness."

"Even the enemy." She said to him.

"But they killed my family…" Sasuke whispered.

"What they did was unforgivable, but taking eye for an eye makes the world blind." She reasoned.

_Eye for an eye, makes the world blind…_ he thought to himself.

"Hey Sasuke, who're you talking to?" asked Suigetsu.

Sasuke turned to him, and turned back to the girl, but she had vanished…


	6. Evening

Evening

"Hinata, wake up."

Hinata slowly stirred from her nap. As she opened her eyes, she saw Kenshin's face in front of her, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

"I've got something to show you."

"Okay, just wait a bit…"said Hinata as slowly stretched, and rubbed her eyes. The forest had grown dark as she slept. She spotted Kenshin walking towards the forest, a light in hand.

Hinata stood up, and followed Kenshin.

As they walked through the moonlit forest, she watched Kenshin as he led her through the undergrowth. Shafts of pale white light filtered through the leaves. At last, they reached another clearing, larger than the one they came from. In the middle of it, was a large monument, made of jet-black obsidian.

"This is where I felt the cosmic energy coalesce."

"I made it for my team, 20 years from now. We'll die right on this spot, right here. The facility that was built here would explode, burying us in rubble, our names unknown to the world."

"But why put these up now?" asked Hinata.

"So they know that they haven't been forgotten, that there's still someone who remembers. Now they know that someone still remembers us." said Kenshin.

"The Seventh Hokage will put up an power plant, and seeing this monument, maybe, just maybe, he'll leave our gravestone untouched…"

"_In Pace Requiescat…_" Kenshin whispered as Hinata leaned on him.

"Rest in Peace…"


End file.
